Exploration & Experimentation

I went to John Lewis yesterday (other department stores are available). On the first floor, at the top of the escalator, I stripped off and tried on their full range of jeans. There were several comedy moments – I think my personal favourite was a passing stranger stopping to hoik a pair up whilst I battled with the button, but the staff member who had to peel me out of one particularly stubborn pair also deserves some recognition. I departed exhausted and empty handed, leaving several traumatised shoppers in my wake.

This never happened of course. It’s bad enough trying on new clothes in the relative privacy of the changing cubicles.

But if we wouldn’t ever dream of exposing our wobbles and wrinkles (in all their glory!) to strangers we’ll never see again, whose opinions matter not one jot, why on earth do we often feel justified, perhaps even virtuous, for trying new ways of working, of developing younger staff or managing teams, of running meetings or leading conversations, without prior space for the kind of private experimentation and feedback that a closed cubicle and helpfully lit mirror afford the optimistic shopper?

The reason, of course, is that so much of the time we see no other choice. We need to move forward, to progress, to develop, and it often seems that the only opportunities for doing so are in the full glare of our colleagues’ gaze.

But what if there could be some private, supportive space for exploration and experimentation, where we can try new ideas and get constructive, honest feedback? A space where we can learn more about how our words, actions and ideas land and how they impact others.

This is one of the many powerful, constructive, empowering benefits of a supportive, challenging and above all confidential coaching space. Building a trusting coaching relationship offers clients a space to experiment and learn, laugh and grow… and sometimes fail! But if they fail, they do so safely and constructively… and go on to have new skills, tried and tested ideas, and above all the confidence to use them widely, building success, strengthening resilience.

For more information about how coaching works and how it might benefit you, please contact me for a chat – susie@yorkskinner.co.uk